Rain Chances Increase as Weekend Arrives

While the weekend shouldn’t be a total wash, forecasters at the National Weather Center are predicting strong chances for storms throughout the weekend and well into Monday as a low pressure system makes its way across the state into the Gulf of Mexico.

The overall forecast for the Tampa Bay area calls for about a 40 percent chance for scattered thunderstorms Friday with chances rising to 50 percent through Monday.

“Scattered to numerous thunderstorms are expected to develop with the highest chances generally south of the Interstate 4 corridor,” a hazardous weather outlook statement says.

Storms over the weekend and on Monday are expected to arrive mainly in the afternoon and evening hours.

While rain is a good possibility, forecasters don’t anticipate it will cool things down much. The highs through Sunday are predicted to hit the 90s with lows in the mid-70s.

The weak low pressure system is currently located over South Florida. It has a low chance of developing into a tropical cyclone over the next 48 hours. Those chances do increase to 40 percent over the next five days as the storm makes its way into the Gulf of Mexico.

Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center has named its fifth storm of the season. Tropical Storm Edouard is currently no threat to the mainland United States and isn’t expected to become one.

For a complete look at local weather, visit the National Weather Service online.

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